Building Surveying (BSc, HND, HNC)

These Building Surveying programmes concern themselves with buildings and their performance in use, whether as a capital asset or operational facility. The discipline embraces building design and specification, project management, legal, cultural and economic factors as well as environmental issues.

Outcomes of the programmes include; the ability to analyse a range of surveying problems whilst delivering practical solutions; provide an in-depth understanding of the technical, economic, legal and organisational aspects of surveying and equip you with a range of skills as required by surveyors in professional practice or within large organisations.

The programmes contain some modules that are delivered in common with other related programmes within the Institute i.e. Architectural Technology, Quantity Surveying, Property Management, Project and Construction Management etc., but only where these provide the essential foundations or there is a need for an inter-disciplinary approach to be taken.

Year One – Level 4 (HNC, HND & BSc)

• Digital Surveying (20 credits; compulsory)
• Fundamentals of Construction Technology (20 credits; compulsory)
• Introduction to Contract and Legal Responsibilities within the Built Environment (20 credits; compulsory)
• Material Science and Building Services (20 credits; compulsory)
• Professional Skills and Health & Safety in Construction (20 credits; compulsory)
• Working with Digital Technologies & BIM (20 credits; compulsory).

Year Two – Level 5 (HND & BSc)

• Modern and Traditional Construction: Managing the Design and construction process (20 credits; compulsory)
• Project Control & Contract Administration (20 credits; compulsory)
• Property Inspection & Re-Use of Buildings (20 credits; compulsory)
• Self-Development, Professional Practice and the Management of Construction Personnel (20 credits; compulsory)
• The Management of Sustainable Construction (20 credits; compulsory)
• Work Based Project (20 credits; compulsory).

Year Three – Level 6 (BSc)

• Advanced Building Services and Environmental Design (20 credits; compulsory)
• Advanced Construction & Civil Engineering Technology (20 credits; compulsory)
• Building Conservation, Asset & Facilities Management (20 credits; optional)
• Design Economics (20 credits; optional)
• Independent Project (40 credits; compulsory; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
• Integrated Group Project (20 credits; compulsory).

Assessments used within these Programmes are normally formative or summative. The former assessment is designed to ensure students become aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Typically, such assessment will take the form of practical exercises where a more hands-on approach shows student’s ability on a range of activities.

Traditional formal time-constrained assessment is by means of tests and examinations, normally of two-hour duration. Examinations are a traditional method of verifying that the work produced is the students’ own work.

To help authenticate student coursework, some modules require that the student and lecturer negotiate the topic for assessment on an individual basis, allowing the lecturer to monitor progress.

Some modules where the assessment is research-based require students to verbally/visually present the research results to the lecturer and peers, followed by a question and answer session.

Such assessment strategies are in accord with the learning and teaching strategies employed by the team, that is, where the aim is to generate work that is mainly student-driven, individual, reflective and where appropriate, vocationally-orientated.

Feedback to students will occur early in the study period and continue over the whole study session thereby allowing for greater value added to the student’s learning.

This Framework aims to develop your professional skills and competence alongside your academic subject knowledge. You’ll study up to 40 credits per level throughout your programme from the Graduate Attributes Framework.

The Graduate Attribute modules are designed to enable you to develop, and evidence, a range of career-focused skills related to your subject area. These skills include digital competency, research and project management, as well as such personal competencies as communication, creativity, self-reflection, resilience and problem-solving. 

• Find out more about the Graduate Attributes Framework

• Trevor Francis
• Dr Deborah Hughes
• Allan Lee Nantel
• Mrs Lara Hopkinson
• Lindsay Richards
• Gavin M Traylor

Building Surveying (BSc)

You will need 96 UCAS Tariff points from A levels or their equivalent (previously 240 UCAS tariff points)

Building Surveying (HND)

You will need 48 UCAS Tariff points from A levels or their equivalent (previously 120 UCAS tariff points)

Building Surveying (HNC)

You will need 40 UCAS Tariff points from A levels or their equivalent (previously 100 UCAS tariff points)

Grades are important; however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to their chosen subject area and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. To assess student suitability for their chosen course we normally arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your qualifications. 

Foundation Year in STEM (environmental stream)

These programmes combine academic study with the application of professional skills and competencies. They will expose you to the educational requirements necessary to embrace the highest industry standards, by developing your knowledge and skills of building design, property, building pathology (building defects), as well as in economic, legal, technical, design and management, subjects so essential in the care of high value built assets and facilities.

They will prepare you for work as a professional surveyor and to apply for membership of the leading built environment professional bodies including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Building, and the Association of Building Engineers. In addition to professional and technical skills specific to building surveying, presentation, communication and team working skills, essential in everyday business, will be covered.

It is possible to complete this programme of study without any additional costs.

Students may wish to purchase materials for modules, such as a major project but this is not a requirement and will have no bearing on the final grade.

• Quantity Surveying (BSc, HND, HNC)
• Construction Management (BSc, HND, HNC)
• Architecture (BSc)
• Architectural Technology (BSc, HND)
• Civil Engineering (BSc, HND, HNC)

Poppy Reynolds, BSc (Hons) Building Surveying
"I chose BSc(Hons) Building Surveying because I was interested in the science behind the construction and I wanted to do a degree that leads to a career and is not just generalised. The Building Surveying course moves from the prescriptive Home Buyers Reports to live projects looking for remedies, defects and values. I really enjoyed the project at the Community Church as it was interesting to see the processes that practitioners go through, as well as, doing my own designs."

Jamie Best, Melin Consultants - BREEAM Module Assessment
"Melin Consultancy are carrying out the BREEAM assessment on the New SA1 Campus for the Faculty from now until completion. Students within the School of Architecture, Built and Natural Environments will get the opportunity to see each stage of the assessment process. BREEAM helps to enhance building sustainability - to reduce energy demands but also to look into the social, economic design within buildings. Students studying Built Environment programmes at UWTSD will see them first-hand, real-world assessment and as part of the BREEAM module, and will work with contractors, engineers etc. It takes them away from the academic theory so that students can ask real questions and deal with real issues."

Visit our Scholarships and Bursaries section to find out more.

Visit our Accommodation section to find out more.

Year one will direct students towards key concepts and principles of building surveying; modules such as construction technology, material science, surveying and legal issues will lead at this level. Built Environment Issues and Academic Skills will lay the foundation for studying at HE level, while Building Information Modelling and CAD will form the basis from which more modern forms of construction are designed and constructed.

Year two is an intermediate stage which takes the student’s personal and academic development onto a higher plane. Disciplines encountered at this stage are developed further and new topic areas are added to underpin the final year. The principles studied in year 1 are built on in Construction Technology 2, Procurement and Project Management and Environmental services. Students will be introduced to Building Pathology and Adaptation of Buildings, where reasoning behind the challenges afforded to building fabric will be examined.

Students entering their final year will have already been equipped with supporting knowledge and study skills necessary to undertake an in-depth study.  At this stage, students will pursue a number of academically rigorous and practically relevant modules. At this level areas such as Sustainable Development and Contract will allow for a degree of specialisation. When combined with the Major Project, the student will have a specialisation they can potentially use as part of their future career development plan, without closing employment opportunities. Advanced construction technologies, valuation principles and professional practice areas will be the focus of study. These programmes encourage students to engage with professional bodies and outside organisations in the field of building surveying. This normally occurs during vacation periods where more flexibility in timings is available.

All honours students must complete the major project, which is considered of major importance, and as such is a 40 credit module. Here, students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to apply skills, knowledge and interpretative thinking. It will involve laboratory, field, computer, information technology and/or library/desk-based study associated with aspects of their chosen topic. At this level, modules are contextual in nature and offer ample opportunity for rigorous in-depth study.